Rising Tensions
by rairairaichu
Summary: First ever  story, eek! Just a simple little Teraqua, hopefully worth reading!
1. Outburst

When it came to spell mastery, Terra and Aqua were polar opposites. Master Eraqus could show the two pupils the same spell, and Aqua would be able to master it in an hour after seeing it, while Terra would take days before he was able to perform a presentable cast. This week, in the Land of the Departure, the two were mastering Aeroga, a spell that the Master had left Ventus, a third pupil and friend to Terra and Aqua, in charge of.

"You're doing great, guys!" Ven exclaimed, his blue eyes shining with excitement as the three stood in the sunny courtyard. "Just think of windy things! It helps!"

Aqua gracefully held her Keyblade, Stormfall, in battle pose, closing her eyes as she prepared. Outside of her gaze, a glaring, sweaty, furious Terra stood slightly downwind and behind her, gripping his Keyblade, Ends of the Earth, tightly with both hands. Aqua was the first to cast.

"Wind!" The bluenette exclaimed, sending a swift and steady gust across the courtyard, rustling the dust off the cobblestones as it swept though. Wide-eyed, Aqua brought a dainty hand to her mouth, her cerulean locks disheveled in her joy.

"Oh, Ven! That went much better than I'd first expected for myself. At least, I think. Was it good?" She asked the blonde, sincerity in her actions clarifying her voice.

"Great first try, actually." Ven replied, crossing his arms over his chest, and giving a short nod of approval. Swiftly, his gaze shifted to Terra, who was looking more volatile with every second that passed.

"Erm, Terra! Give it a try…" Ven urged hesitantly, trying to coddle the mocha haired boy's seething frustrations.

Terra thrust Ends of the Earth forwards, angling it towards a weak, stray patch of grass that had managed to grow between the cobblestones in the courtyard. With an exasperated groan, Terra tried to cast Aeroga. Upon his casting, only a faint, wispy breeze transpired, barely shaking the grass patch. A low, menacing growl formed in Terra's throat, expanding into a thunderous roar as the boy threw his Keyblade down onto the ground. Ventus and Aqua exchanged nervous glances, unsure of what to say, or how to say it. For a moment, the only audible noise was the sound of Terra's manic panting, until Ven broke the silence.

"Terra…um…" The sandy blonde mumbled, trailing off into a look of desperation aimed at Aqua, who countered with a glare, and an equally helpless stare. After another tense moment, Aqua spoke.

"If you'd like to practice after dinner tonight, I'd be more than willing to-"

Terra snarled at the young mage, stopping her mid sentence.

"Be willing to what? Prance around and show off how good you are with magic? What good is spell casting anyway? No thanks." The angered boy scooped his Keyblade up and stormed off towards the pupil lodging, leaving the two anxious students behind.

"I…just wanted to help…" Aqua faintly whispered, wrapping her arms around herself insecurely. Ven grimaced, and took a step towards her, untangling her arms to take her hands in his.

"Aw, Aqua. Don't cry. You know how Terra gets, especially with magic. If he falls behind, he explodes." The blonde assured her, rubbing her thin hands. "C'mon, let's get some dinner."


	2. Rage and Repose

While Ven and Aqua settled into the dining hall, Terra fumed in his bedroom. Laying in bed, he stared up at the ceiling, eyes burning hot, but with what? Terra was furious that Aqua had shown him up, sure, but he was even more upset with the way he'd treated her. Deep down, the brunette knew that Aqua's intentions were genuine, and he pushed her away…

"I should have been able to nail that," Terra hissed to himself, anger and darkness churning in his voice. Quickly, he rose out of bed, yanking the straps and grey undershirt off to look at himself in his mirror. Nothing looked wrong with Terra. His muscles were tight and strong with hours of labor fortifying them, perfectly shaped as Terra had wanted it, and he still felt incomplete.

Just then, the brunette heard a faint knock at his door. Had he still been lying in bed, he doubted he'd have even heard it. Cautiously, he opened the door a crack, and when it was just wide enough for him to peer out, a thin, nimble hand, unmistakably Aqua's, appeared through the slit, a crimson star made lying limp in her palm. It was Terra's Wayfinder, a special, cherished trinket in a series of three Aqua had made for herself, Ven, and Terra. In silence, Terra plucked the star from her hand, her thin fingers disappearing through the crack just as quickly as they had appeared. Terra carefully, with more diligence than he had given in quite some time, listened as the mage sprinted down the hallway, her footsteps soft, yet deliberate. The urge to run after her, take her soft arms in his hands and apologize frantically coursed through Terra, but he decided against it.

"She's probably still angry with me," Terra mused, fumbling with the soft leather cord attached to the Wayfinder as he placed it back around his neck. " I must have dropped my star in the courtyard. After all the hard work she put into making this, she just didn't want me to lose it."

I'm not angry, Terra." A small, timid but oh so melodic voice spoke out from behind the door.


	3. Calm Conclusions

Quickly, Terra opened his door, revealing a solemn looking Aqua, a slight, peachy blush playing along her cheeks.

"Aqua!" Terra exclaimed, half bemused, half worried. "But, I heard you walk off…"

"That was Aerith, she passed by me in the hallway as I stood by your door. Although, to be fair, I was going to leave soon." Aqua calmly replied, shrugging as she glanced over Terra. "Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

This time, it was the brunette's turn to blush. "Oh! Erm…it got warm in my room. Very humid. I'll put something back on. Do you…want to come in?" Terra gestured inside, hoping his false offer fell through. He didn't want Aqua in his room. She'd already caught him off guard, and now she was sniffing her way into his quarters. And by sniffing, he meant helplessly asking. Helplessly asking in such a way that he couldn't say no…

Aqua rolled her eyes, pushing past Terra, into his room. Terra swiftly closed the door behind her, watching her eyes scan over his room, his panicked thoughts of what to do with himself darting into every corner of his mind. Aqua approached Terra's bed, smoothed out his covers with both hands, and then firmly sat down, staring at the boy with two large, lapis lazuli eyes.

"So, let's talk."

Terra scratched the back of his neck, unsure if he should clothe himself, or keep his attention on Aqua. For now, he chose the latter of the two choices, and took a distanced seat from the bluenette on his bed.

"I don't really have much to say, I guess," Terra mumbled. "I mean…I'm sorry, obviously. I should have kept my temper in check. You were only trying to help."

Aqua smiled softly, nodding in agreement.

"I forgive you, of course. I just wish you wouldn't get so upset. Everyone has weaknesses."

At this, Terra clenched his hands into fists.

"That's just…that's unacceptable. I try so hard not to have any faults. I'm strong, and my combat skills are some of the best the Master has ever seen, but when it comes to magic, I just…"

Terra trailed off, staring forward to avoid the bluenette's mindful gaze. "I'm no you, that's for sure." The stern boy concluded with a chuckle.

Aqua placed a hand on Terra's knee, unknowingly sending a chill up his spine.

"I know, you're very strong. Stronger than I could ever be. Maybe you just need a mental tune-up. An awakening." The gentle girl spoke, the delicate flow of her words bringing Terra closer to a state of calm.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean." Terra replied, less fiery than last he spoke. "What sort of training do you do to hone your magic skills? I'm willing to try anything."

As soon as Terra asked this rather simple question, a deep pink color spread across Aqua's cheeks, causing Terra to guffaw in surprise. Smirking, the brunette scooted closer, eager to tease his friend.

"Aw, what's with the face? C'mon, tell me what you do to get your spells in top form? Is it embarrassing?" Terra wrapped an arm around the blushing bluenette, tickling her ribs, causing her to squeal and try to wiggle away.

"Is it…girly?" Terra let his mouth hang agape in mock surprise, his humor in much better spirits now that he had Aqua at a disadvantage.

"It's…a secret." Aqua huffed, crossing her arms to protect her ticklish spots. Terra's grin only grew wider. In one swift motion, he scooped Aqua up and pinned her down on the bed, using the same, age-old technique he'd used to wrestle with her when they were just children. Despite the time lapse, Aqua was still fairly helpless against Terra, who'd only gotten stronger with age.

"Well, now I _have_ to know, since you've draped this mystery label over it." Terra chuckled, watching Aqua squirm. It'd been this same routine for years. Aqua has a secret, Terra prods and tickles and tackles and pokes until she gives in…

"Stop! Terra, you're twisting my arm!" Aqua shouted her upper lip curling into a snarl. The older boy quickly released his grip and allowed the young mage to sit upright on the bed.

"Aqua, I've done that like a million times, I didn't know it would-"Terra apologetically whined, but his words were interrupted by something very unfamiliar and warm.

A pair of lips, fluttering against his. Now, Terra had kissed Aqua before. Loads of times, actually, back when they were kids and there was the malicious intent of giving her cooties. And back then, it was always on the forehead, or the cheeks. Never…the lips.

"_Wait, Aqua's…kissing me?"_ Terra's thoughts slowed down to a snail's pace as the pillowy soft lips made sold contact with his thin, rather chapped lips. When Aqua pulled away, the blush that was once brilliant and bright upon her face was barely lingering, but it had been replaced with the most luminous, perfect smile Terra had ever seen.

"Before I perform a spell, I think of my greatest desire, and channel all that desire into casting. I'm a bit worried now. I've just captured my greatest desire, so what am I going to focus on, now?" Aqua nearly whispered, a flirty giggle dancing across her words.

Terra was thick for a moment. He looked at Aqua, who seemed genuinely happy she'd kissed him.

"You can focus on the reverse," The brunette whispered with a seductive tone rising in his voice, leaning in towards the, no, his lovely mage girl.

"Me, kissing you."


End file.
